Help me build my PC 2020 Catch All

fangblackbone wrote:

Just curious, if it works for video editing now, then why the need to upgrade? Keep the old Mac Pro to edit and then buy a new and more sensible (windows) laptop...

Also LTT to the rescue:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATnp...

It doesn't work for video editing now. It doesn't work for anything now. It died.

I had it set up at church because I was working on a church anniversary video and basement renovations left me without space to work on it at home. I set it up to render something and left for the night. When I returned the fans were going full-blast and the screen was black. It's a huge aluminum paperweight now. I limped that project to completion on a min-spec 2012 Macbook Pro, and now I've got a hankering to get back into serious video production and no good machine to do that with.

One thing I absolutely do NOT have a hankering to do is f*ck around with virtual machines and hand edit configuration files. I realize this absolutely the wrong thread for that attitude, but if you organize a forum around megathreads this kind of thing is going to happen.

I did enjoy watching somebody else fool with it though.

Speaking of Linus...

We're looking at those 16" MBPs at work. I'm very much ready to swap in this 2018 15" MBP for one.

fangblackbone wrote:

Just curious, if it works for video editing now, then why the need to upgrade? Keep the old Mac Pro to edit and then buy a new and more sensible (windows) laptop...

Also LTT to the rescue:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATnp...

Time is money. A new Mac Pro with an Afterburner card should be able to handle 5K and 6K and maybe even 8K footage very well and if you are doing it for a living that is a very big deal. Sure you could do the same with a Windows workstation, but you would be paying just about as much for a comparable one as you would a Mac Pro (minus a few extra stupid things like the $400 wheels). A similarly specced Dell Precision with more RAM (48gigs vs 32gigs) but a slower 8 core CPU is only $300 less than the Mac Pro base model. HP doesn't offer anything quite comparable, but you could get their best workstation for about $1500 less and then spend most of that $1500 on upgrades. The Lenovo ThinkStation comes out to about $1000 less though the video card options are limited and the CPU is slower.

One of the saddest things about the Mac Pro specs is that some of the i9's are cheaper than that Xeon W and better for some workloads. Workstations don't seem to be a very big market segment these days and other than custom built or boutique built what most places are trying to pass off as workstations are just high end consumer machines.

It's weird how the workstation market has dropped off the face of the earth. Except for the MilSpec stuff, that's still alive. But for that, it's more about continuity and the ability to fit into a rack in a HMMV or on a ship...

Sometimes the deals on local Craigslist are too good to be true:

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/SRsnwKV.png)

Seller forgot a comma there.

Not sure about that. That plastic packaging looks hella fancy.

Greetings, friends! While I've built many, many PCs in the past, sometimes with GWJ's help, I am looking at buying one that comes built. Who would y'all recommend if I can't build my own this time? Thanks!

What are you planning to use the computer for?

Remoting in to work, but it might as well be extremely powerful.

Fedaykin98 wrote:

Remoting in to work, but it might as well be extremely powerful.

I hear the new Mac Pro is good for remote work, you know with it's portable wheels and all /sarcasm

*Sorry I can't offer any advice. Other than if you can write the expense off might as well go big

Maingear is pretty good overall, though like most pre-builts, they tend to skimp on power supplies. NZXT does pre-built rigs now too, and they look like they're pretty good quality. I use their S340 Elite case and Kraken X62 AIO cooler and they're both excellent quality. If money is of little or no object, Puget Systems are also great, and start with the excellent step of asking what your needs are and starting you with an appropriate base rig to tweak from there.

Money is always a consideration, especially with graphics cards being as pricey as they are.

Hyperbole in the title of course but interesting new cooling technology:

So I'm building my own rig for the first time and RECORD SKIP massive screw-up because I bought a Masterbox Q3OOL which ended up not fitting my motherboard + video card + power supply. I thought I was buying a mid-sized tower, but I suppose not. Is this a common problem to have, not only with the case but with other components? I told the guy at Micro Center what my motherboard was...should he have alerted me, or is this just a "live and learn" situation?

Yeah, ideally he should have told you. He probably thought it was a midsize tower, too, and didn't realize it was pretty teeny.

A proper ATX case will normally fit most components. They're publishing max CPU cooler heights now, so that's probably a good thing to check, and also that the case will take a full-size graphic card. But past that, everything should have enough room.

In eyeballing it, I'm not sure the Masterbox Q3OOL is actually an ATX case. Maybe mini- or micro-ATX?

edit: Ah, I see this under Specifications: "Micro ATX, Mini ITX". There's your problem. Yes, the salesperson should have spotted that.

Micro Center should never have sold you that case while knowing what you had, Natus. Even a quick add of the components on PCPartPicker would have shown they're not compatible.

You should get them to take the case back. Their associate genuinely just sold you something that doesn't work with what you told him you have.

Also: The Q300L is a bad case anyway. Even if your motherboard would fit it's still bad. It has *horrendous* cooling. It's a Micro-ATX hotbox. There's a GamersNexus video that is basically them spending 20 minutes showing graphs of it failing to cool the PC even halfway reasonably no matter what configuration of fans they shoehorn into it.

Make them take it back.

Thin_J wrote:

You should get them to take the case back. Their associate genuinely just sold you something that doesn't work with what you told him you have.

Also: The Q300L is a bad case anyway. Even if your motherboard would fit it's still bad. It has *horrendous* cooling. It's a Micro-ATX hotbox. There's a GamersNexus video that is basically them spending 20 minutes showing graphs of it failing to cool the PC even halfway reasonably no matter what configuration of fans they shoehorn into it.

Make them take it back.

You guys are great and I really appreciate it, but it's not quite that simple, because I purchased the motherboard from NewEgg; I only told the associate what it was in order to make sure all my components were compatible. So could he have caught that? Maybe, but I don't expect that level of detail. The thing that freaks me out is that I had no idea from the item description on the case that it couldn't fit the motherboard. I simply didn't realize it was an issue.

So, do you all have recommendations for *good* cases? Thanks very much! Eggnog all around!

Price point? The Q300L is a fairly cheap case so what's your range? For under $100 Newegg hast the NZXT H510i and the Fractal Design Meshify C. For $70 they have the NZXT H510 (not the i version). I think they non-I has better cooling. I believe that Gamers Nexus has reviewed all these and IIRC some versions of the Meshify and H510 are better than others. For a bit more there's the Lian Li PC11 which gets great reviews but is a bit more expensive ($130ish).

I have the Thermaltake Level 20 MT ARGB. It runs about $100. I like it. I really like the look of it with the glas front and side panel and the ARGB fans. For the price it is pretty well made. Everything fits well and there is a pretty decent amount of cable management. GamersNexus dinged it for not enough air flow on the front panel but it hasn't been an issue for me (1070 and Ryzen 3600 stock). You can also add two fans or a radiator to the side (or top) which is exactly what the Lian Li 11 does and GamersNexus loves that case. For having three ARGB fans it's very well priced. The mesh on the bottom is a bit cheap but it gets the job done. One thing I like about Thermaltake is they seem to include more fans than others. Mine came with 4 120mm fans. The NZXTs and FDs I listed above come with two. 120mm fans are 15-20 so take that into consideration.

Natus wrote:
Thin_J wrote:

You should get them to take the case back. Their associate genuinely just sold you something that doesn't work with what you told him you have.

Also: The Q300L is a bad case anyway. Even if your motherboard would fit it's still bad. It has *horrendous* cooling. It's a Micro-ATX hotbox. There's a GamersNexus video that is basically them spending 20 minutes showing graphs of it failing to cool the PC even halfway reasonably no matter what configuration of fans they shoehorn into it.

Make them take it back.

You guys are great and I really appreciate it, but it's not quite that simple, because I purchased the motherboard from NewEgg; I only told the associate what it was in order to make sure all my components were compatible. So could he have caught that? Maybe, but I don't expect that level of detail. The thing that freaks me out is that I had no idea from the item description on the case that it couldn't fit the motherboard. I simply didn't realize it was an issue.

So, do you all have recommendations for *good* cases? Thanks very much! Eggnog all around!

They should still have no problem returning it. Especially if you exchange it for a correctly sized case.

There are tons of good cases, but we would need more info on what you are looking for out of your case. Do you want all the RGB and tempered glass you can possibly get? Do you want the smallest most stealthed out black case that can fit your components (this is my preferred style)? Do you need external 5.25 inch bays? I suggest looking at Fractal Design, Corsair, NZXT, Antec, and Cooler Master to see what you think will fit your components and then put your build together on PC Part Picker and share a link so we can go over it.

Rykin wrote:
Natus wrote:
Thin_J wrote:

You should get them to take the case back. Their associate genuinely just sold you something that doesn't work with what you told him you have.

Also: The Q300L is a bad case anyway. Even if your motherboard would fit it's still bad. It has *horrendous* cooling. It's a Micro-ATX hotbox. There's a GamersNexus video that is basically them spending 20 minutes showing graphs of it failing to cool the PC even halfway reasonably no matter what configuration of fans they shoehorn into it.

Make them take it back.

You guys are great and I really appreciate it, but it's not quite that simple, because I purchased the motherboard from NewEgg; I only told the associate what it was in order to make sure all my components were compatible. So could he have caught that? Maybe, but I don't expect that level of detail. The thing that freaks me out is that I had no idea from the item description on the case that it couldn't fit the motherboard. I simply didn't realize it was an issue.

So, do you all have recommendations for *good* cases? Thanks very much! Eggnog all around!

They should still have no problem returning it. Especially if you exchange it for a correctly sized case.

There are tons of good cases, but we would need more info on what you are looking for out of your case. Do you want all the RGB and tempered glass you can possibly get? Do you want the smallest most stealthed out black case that can fit your components (this is my preferred style)? Do you need external 5.25 inch bays? I suggest looking at Fractal Design, Corsair, NZXT, Antec, and Cooler Master to see what you think will fit your components and then put your build together on PC Part Picker and share a link so we can go over it.

Thanks, but I'm still a beginner, and I just need a decent case large enough to house the components that allows good air flow. Anything else is extra.

I'd just get the NZXT H510, then. It's not cheap but it's a nice case with decent cooling. It's a little less than the meshify or the 510i.

Natus wrote:
Thin_J wrote:

You should get them to take the case back. Their associate genuinely just sold you something that doesn't work with what you told him you have.

Also: The Q300L is a bad case anyway. Even if your motherboard would fit it's still bad. It has *horrendous* cooling. It's a Micro-ATX hotbox. There's a GamersNexus video that is basically them spending 20 minutes showing graphs of it failing to cool the PC even halfway reasonably no matter what configuration of fans they shoehorn into it.

Make them take it back.

You guys are great and I really appreciate it, but it's not quite that simple, because I purchased the motherboard from NewEgg; I only told the associate what it was in order to make sure all my components were compatible. So could he have caught that? Maybe, but I don't expect that level of detail. The thing that freaks me out is that I had no idea from the item description on the case that it couldn't fit the motherboard. I simply didn't realize it was an issue.

So, do you all have recommendations for *good* cases? Thanks very much! Eggnog all around!

They should have warned you from the outset that you were getting a Micro ATX/Mini ITX case. This is as basic an incompatibility as you can get. It's like selling a Prius to someone who wants to tow a horse trailer. It won't do what they want at all. The manager of the store needs to know that their folks need some training.

Currently there's a (IMO bad) trend of choking off the front of cases with solid panels. The Bitfenix Nova Mesh TG has a range of options at varying price points right around what you're looking at, and it has great airflow with its mesh front. There's also the Fractal Focus G, but it has 5 1/4 bays taking up space where a third fan could be.

You guys are great and I really appreciate it, but it's not quite that simple, because I purchased the motherboard from NewEgg; I only told the associate what it was in order to make sure all my components were compatible. So could he have caught that?

Yes, absolutely. You had an ATX board and he sold you a micro-ATX case. Any computer salesperson should have caught this; it's one of only two things that really matter about cases. The other thing is whether or not you need a power supply. Some cases come with one, some don't. Selling you an extra, or not selling you one at all, are both rookie mistakes.

Cases are just boxes, after all, and he didn't bother to check that you were buying the right size box.

BTW, most Corsair cases are decent. They tend to go for more mesh than I really like, though. I'm sure that makes them cheaper to manufacture, but it's harder to set up a specific airflow in one, because so much of the case will be mesh. I like it better when the ports are fully closable. I ended up using a piece of cardboard in my last Corsair case to close off the top, which was wide open and would let dust in. IMO, I should not have needed to do that.

Malor wrote:

BTW, most Corsair cases are decent. They tend to go for more mesh than I really like, though. I'm sure that makes them cheaper to manufacture, but it's harder to set up a specific airflow in one, because so much of the case will be mesh. I like it better when the ports are fully closable. I ended up using a piece of cardboard in my last Corsair case to close off the top, which was wide open and would let dust in. IMO, I should not have needed to do that.

I've been happy with my Corsair case, which does have mesh in the top, as Malor mentions. Tons of space inside though, which makes putting things together so easy, and I just like the way they've organized the space inside. It feels ... thoughtful, and makes hiding cables and getting them out of the way super easy.

And I haven't had much dust inside mine at all, for whatever that's worth.

Yeah, they're really easy to work on, no doubt there. They have nice hotswap bays for 3.5" drives, although I think their 2.5" plastic slides still need to be attached with screws. (I'd have to look to be sure, and that would be awkward just now.) They use lots of thumbscrews and are easy to work on, and tend to have good spacing around the important bits. I've rarely been frustrated when working in a Corsair case.

But they really, really love them some mesh, and controlling airflow patterns is hard when you can't seal up the box at all. And intake air filters are much less useful when the air can enter from pretty much any face of the case.

Wouldn't maintaining positive air pressure in the case still keep dust out and make your dust filters useful? Maybe I'm thinking about this too simplistically. Normally I wouldn't even comment, but a friend of mine recently bought a computer and the case is similar to swiss cheese, so I'm thinking about it a bit.